James: Classic or Dud/POX?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

http://www.jamestheband.com/live/photos/images/large/1.jpg

In my endless quest to fill up my iPod, I've been yanking various bunches of discs off my shelves and ripping various tracks. Up to the J's at the moment, and found myself re-discovering this band whom I'd long-since relegated to early-to-mid 90's anglophillic folly. But, truth be told, they did have a number of great tunes to their credit. Apart from the Laid album, they never really caught on over here in the States, but I remember seeing them open for Neil Young at Finsbury Park in London in the gloom of `93, and being quite impressed. They never really settled into one single sound of their own, but did manage a few smashing singles (and some truly dire ones.....especially circa their "Born of Frustration" era, and if I never heard "Sit Down" again, that'd be fine with me).

In any event, what sayeth ye?

1."Gold Mother"
2. "Waltzing Along"
3. "How Was it For You?"
4. "Runaground"
5. "Sometimes (Lester Piggott)"
6. "Come Home"
7. "Laid"
8. "Out to Get You"
9. "Honest Joe" (from the entirely needless improvisational Wah Wah with Brian Eno)
10. "Dream Thrum"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, "Sit Down" isn't all that bad, I guess.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

UGH

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahahaha.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 March 2004 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

their best of album is pretty good. i may give it a few spins - partly due to nostalgia, partly due to them having some great singles.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it true that their last album is great?

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

ok, here's 10

Come Home
Sit Down
She's a Star
Laid
Say Something
Born of Frustration
Tomorrow
Out to Get You
Sometimes (Lester Piggott)
Sound

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I lost interest as soon as they turfed the trumpet player.
He was the glue, man.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"But she only comes when she's on top"

That line is classic.

― earlnash, Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

They had a song about Lester Piggott?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

definitely search the two singles on factory. the rough trade stuff is ok too. nobody needs the rest. there is nothing classic about any of the lyrics from the execrable "laid"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"village fire" = half of Unrest's career in a nutshell

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I broke up with someone because she liked James. well not really. but (a) almost and (b) I should've.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

awright:
"Hymn from a Village" EP
"Charlie Dance"
"So Many Ways"
"Ya Ho"
"Are You Ready"
then dudness ensued

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 March 2004 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I lost interest as soon as they turfed the trumpet player.
He was the glue, man.

Andy Diagram, an interesting character. Ever heard his band Spaceheads?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 01:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The first singles/EP and the first album are classic. Thats all I've heard yet. How do they get shitty after that haters?

Oh and its very cute to dismiss Unrest becuase they based their career (or half of it) on James, but its a bit inaccurate (and I've seen like 5 people mention this). I like to think they had their own thing going on. The early James sounds like they just learned to play their instruments and theres no super fast guitar strumming, its just some shuffley (they called it 'shambling' didn't they?) Smiths-folk. But, whatever, maybe the other half of Unrest's career is early Wedding Present.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Eh, sorry to redirect this thread to Unrest. They are my Killing Joke, if you will.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

imagine Laid minus Eno.

― Aaron A., Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

the song is classic, though, geez.

― Aaron A., Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:14 (twenty-two years ago)

i would never dismiss Unrest, but the connection cannot be denied. and Unrest's version of "folklore" is superior

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Damn right!

Someone tell me about how James goes on to suck in their later career now.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Thursday, 11 March 2004 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never heard of the Unrest/James connection. Must investigate.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 March 2004 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

a large section of the lyrics to "skinhead girl" were taken from a James song

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 11 March 2004 04:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i liked 'em. kinda smiths-y, but with eno-goo on top.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 11 March 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I liked em early doors - they were great live c83/84. For example they were miles better than The Smiths on the 'Meat is Murder' tour.

Three reasons why they became crap :

(1)they ditched their original drummer, Gavan, thus severing all links with Can meets folk in a ditch looseness and propulsion

(2)and (ugh) expanded the line-up with 'conventional' musicians who didn't know how to be different

(3)Booth wanted fame.

I can't POX easily - the post-Stutter stuff is excruciating. Let's see :

1. If Things Were Perfect
2. What's The World
3. Folklore
4. Hymn From A Village
5. Chainmail
6. So Many Ways
7. Island Swing (was this ever released - it was grebt live)
8. Burned (from One Man Clapping)
9. Why So Close (From One Man Clapping)
10.Not There

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 11 March 2004 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I met their drummer (not the one your talking about, but the gent who played on all their 90's material) at that Finsbury Park show after I'd interviewed Tim and Saul. He came up and asked if they were cool, and I asked what it was like being a James roadie. Open mouth, insert entire leg.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 March 2004 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

C generally OTM as per, though he's unneccessarily generous to the One Man Clapping farrago, and perhaps a little harsh about The Smiths on the MIM tour.

I've a tape somewhere of two consecutive 1983 shows and it's blinding. The live version of "earwig" is amazing.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 11 March 2004 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

**and I asked what it was like being a James roadie**

I was one on occasion!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 11 March 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic.

1. If you like the more cerebral parts of Laid you should really like its companion album, Wah Wah.

2. Their best overall album BY FAR is their last: Pleased To Meet You.

― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Wah Wah was one of my favorite albums at age 17, and was consequently one of the albums I listened to the first time I ever got high. Very appropriate.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic from beginning to end. To all who hate post-Stutter material, I say good day.

I say good day! *raises hand in dismissive manner*

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Search: Laid.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Dussic.

Except for 'Laid', their albums are 71% 'will this do?'.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm of the opinion "Clud" would be much funnier.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Thursday, 11 March 2004 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Best live band I ever saw, with Happy Mondays supporting (1988). First two albums are very good. Went off them when Sit Down came out (the first time).

― holojames (holojames), Friday, 12 March 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

Rediscovering bands whilst filling up the iPod? Classic.

Oh, wait, this thread is about James...

4. "Runaground"

I'm not alone in the world! I thought I was the only person who liked this track.

It's like you took Laid, put in a pot on the stove and cooked it until you acheived a reduction of all the best moments of Laid squeezed into 3 minutes.

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

Somehow James managed to pull out a date at the National Auditorium in Mexico City last Tuesday. Packed. 10,000 people singing along every single song, even the new ones. I still can't understand how come they're that big here and by the look in their faces they didn't either.I mean... they never charted decently in this continent. Wouldn't be surprised if they re-locate to Mexico City.

― elgolfo, Friday, 10 October 2008 23:02 (seventeen years ago)

I heard "Come Home" in my head today at work for no reason.

― Hot Pants Floyd (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Saturday, 11 October 2008 02:45 (seventeen years ago)

four months pass...

My friend found this gig from them from 1983 and WAU. I'd always wanted to hear more of their early live, unreleased stuff, based upon a fantastic live track that appeared on an old Factory records VHS video I bought. I appreciate some of their later career as well, but early James is something altogether much more worthy of worship.

― Coffee Table LP's Never Breathe! (Bimble), Sunday, 15 February 2009 14:11 (seventeen years ago)

I've never quite warmed to later James. For me, their best stuff will always be on the Village Fire ep. It's too bad they never got around to making an album for Factory.

― leavethecapital, Sunday, 15 February 2009 21:08 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

Two unexpected things tonight:

1. I was listening to the radio
2. "Laid" came on and I sang along like a big sappy doofus. Still knew all the words too.

― Stockhausen's Helicopter Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Saturday, 9 October 2010 12:05 (fifteen years ago)

And lucky you, they're about to play a show or two around here.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 October 2010 14:36 (fifteen years ago)

I hated "Laid", is something wrong with me? Should I dig it out or will it bring back bad memories?

― Remember the Dayne! (u s steel), Saturday, 9 October 2010 14:56 (fifteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.